Ohio State Buckeyes storm back to defeat the Florida Gators
The Ohio State Buckeyes had a statement game in just their second contest of the season, defeating the number 10 ranked Florida Gators 93-75 in a battle between two high-powered offences.
The Buckeyes are expected to challenge for the national championship and are considered to be one of the best teams coming out of an incredibly skilled Big Ten Conference this season. The Buckeyes lost
their star player Evan Turner to the National Basketball Association over the summer, but have managed to put together another very skilled side, committed to using all its weapons on offence.
The Gators are hoping to make some waves in a weak Southeastern Conference this season and are expected to also be in the running for a National Champions come March. The Gators have committed to playing
a high-octane brand of basketball this season, which sees them utilize the full-court press.
The Buckeyes were able to use their whole team when they took on the Gators in a battle of top ten squads on Tuesday 16 November. The team-play Florida coach Billy Donovan saw from Ohio State led to him
speculating that they could be a better team without Turner.
“Ohio State has a better chance of being a better team this year than they did a year ago,” said Donovan. “Evan Turner’s a great player, the player of the year in the country and they won 29 games and
did a great job. But when you have that kind of player, you really kind of become a little more one-dimensional. They are a complete team that probably has a chance to do a little more this season because there’s going to be a lot more balance to their team.”
The Buckeyes were down by three points at the half, as the Gators seemed to be dominating every aspect of the game. However, after the break Ohio State seemed to find their rhythm, outscoring the Gators
55-34 on their way to a convincing victory.
The Buckeyes got plenty of support from a number of players on their roster. However, they were led by Jared Sullinger and David Lightly, who both managed 26 points with Sullinger also picking up 10 rebounds.
In addition, the Buckeyes got strong efforts from Jon Diebler, who tallied 14 points and William Buford, who notched 16 points and eight assists.
Ohio State will play the North Carolina-Wilmington Seahawks on Saturday 20 November, while the Gators will face-off against the North Carolina A&T Aggies on Thursday 18 November.
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